


Magnolia

by MamaG



Category: Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda - Becky Albertalli
Genre: M/M, pretty much plotless
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-07
Updated: 2018-05-09
Packaged: 2019-05-03 17:09:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14573643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MamaG/pseuds/MamaG
Summary: Simon is going to meet Bram’s Mom and he’s panicking.





	1. Death Comes For Simon

**Author's Note:**

> I don’t know what this is.

I’m leaning against his car on a Friday after school, feeling nervous and like my skin is either too big or too small, I can’t decide, it just doesn’t fit correctly. I’m meeting Bram’s mom today for the first time ever. Maybe, not ever, I think I met her once when she came to pick up Bram from a birthday party at Nick’s house. But I never met her as Bram’s Boyfriend and that thought scares me shitless. I mean, on my best day, around my best friends I manage to put my foot in my mouth at least a dozen times. What’s it going to be like when I’m this anxious and it matters this much? This is going to be a disaster. No, I’m going to be a disaster. 

I look at the time on my phone 2:32. That’s 2 whole minutes after the bell. Where is he? He’s late. We can’t be late to meet his mom, she will for sure hate me at first sight if we’re late. I scan the lot for the a millionth time, and then finally I see him jogging towards me. For a minute I forget that I’m about to meet his mom and just enjoy the view. 

When he reaches me their’s a knowing smirk on his face having caught me staring, and even though it’s only been three weeks I can’t really be bothered to feel embarrassed about that any more. “Hey, how are you?” He asks, reaching over and giving my hand a quick squeeze.

I just shake my head and say “We’re going to be late.” And turn to the passenger door and wait for him to let me in.

“You look terrified.” Bram says walking over to the drivers side.

“Oh, you mean I’m not hiding it well? God, I’m so freaking scared, I think I might throw up. Seriously.” I say sliding into the car and buckling my seat belt.

“Well, you can’t do that. That’s my job.” He smiles at me. I roll my eyes.

“She’s gonna hate me.”

“That’s impossible.” He says taking my hand and lacing our fingers together then slowly backing out.

“She’s going to take one look at me and say ‘no way. There’s no way I’m allowing a little punk like you to date my perfect son.’”

“Punk? Perfect?”

“And then you’ll break up with me because you respect your parents like that.” I let out breath.

“Ok, first of all, I love my parents but I think you’re over estimating how far I’m willing to take my respect for them and second of all, I’m stopping here to pick something up.” He says and suddenly he’s pulling into the Publix.

“What? Bram no, we don’t have time for this we can’t be late!”

“Simon. Breathe.” He says, I just look at him. “My mom won’t even be home till 5 and were not allowed in the house till she gets home anyway. Unless... you want today, to be the day we risk it...” 

“Harhar yeah right. The last thing I need is for your mom to find me making out with you on the living room couch. Like ‘Oh hi, it’s nice to meet you Ms. Carter! I’d shake your hand but that would mean having to take my hands out of the inside of your son’s shirt!’” I say giving him a sardonic look.

Bram only laughs shaking his head. “So, I’m going to go pick up a few things. Why don’t you stay here and listen to some music and just relax?” He turns on a slow soul song. Then turns to me, kisses my cheek and says “I’ll be right back.” 

I lean back in my seat and take a deep breath. Bram had been trying to convince me to go to his house after school on Friday’s when he didn’t have soccer practice, just for an hour or two before his mom got home. So far I had refused. It’s not that I didn’t desperately want more opportunities like the one we had after the talent show but their was no freaking way I was going to do that before I even met his mom. I get that Bram had only just met my parents before we were literally making out on my bed, but this feels different. Their’s something about Bram’s mom raising him practically on her own that made me want to do things right and I really, really want her to like me.

Bram comes back with a thing of strawberries and a box of Oreos. “Here, it seemed like you might need some of these.” He says handing me the Oreos.

I take them and just stare at them in my lap.

“Simon.” He says it like a statement like he can actually hear me over analyzing the snack in my head.

“I just don’t know. What times dinner? I want to make sure I have enough room for whatever your mom is making.” I say anxiously.

“Just eat an Oreo, Simon, you’ll feel better. I promise.” Bram urges, backing the car out and getting on the road.

I give in open the package and take out a single cookie, hold it up to my face, and just look at it, still unsure if I should eat it or not. The next the thing I know Bram is leaning over and taking a bite, his lip covers the top of my thumb while his teeth just barely skim the same place. It’s sort of stupid how dizzyingly distracting this quick and relatively innocent action is. I wish I could kiss the bite of cookie right out of his mouth, but, you know, he’s driving and safety first, or something.

“Sorry, I just wasn’t sure you were ever going to take the leap.” Bram says with a smile and a full mouth. 

I can feel myself blushing and shove the remainder of the cookie in my mouth, chew, and swallow. “You know, if you want me to make a good impression, you’re really gonna have to not do stuff like that.” I say picking up another cookie.

“What eat your Oreos?”

“Well, I mean you bought them so you can have as many as you want. Plus, I sort of like you a lot and I will always share. But you can’t eat out of my hand like that, it’s.. I don’t know... like...really...something...” I’m not saying what I want to say which is hot or sexy or you’re slowly killing me you know that?

He’s laughing again, I like how much he laughs around me now. “Just eat a cookie Simon.” I smile at him and take a bite of the cookie in my hand. We pull into a neighborhood it’s mostly older ranch houses with neat lawns and fenced backyards. I’ve never been to his house before now and it’s not what I was expecting. Smaller, and all together too average for someone as special as Bram. He pulls up to a yellow house. He parks the car and looks at me for a minute.

“Doin’ any better?” He asks.

“A little, actually, yeah.” I say. “Thanks for the Oreos.”

He nods giving me a concerned look. “Come here a minute.” He says leaning towards me and putting his hand on my cheek. I meet him half way. The kiss is slow and sweet and I slide my hand to the back of his neck and pull him closer. He deepens the kiss and then bites down a little on my lower lip pulling back a bit, a rather undignified noise escapes my lips without my permission. He pulls away but keeps his hand on my cheek, moving his thumb in small circles. 

Then he looks at me and grins “There. Much better. Come on let’s go to the backyard.” He gets out of the car but I just sit there, stunned. Bram’s almost to the backyard before I scramble out of the car and catch up with him.

“Who even are you? Where did you come from?” I ask, because how is he as nice and smart and funny as he is and still that good at kissing. I’m not sure it should be possible for one person to be all that. It honestly isn’t fair to the rest of us.

He just smiles and opens the gate for me and waves his arm in an after you type of gesture. I walk into the backyard and it’s small with a giant tulip magnolia tree in the middle. I walk towards it craning my neck to look up at the big pink flowers blossoming on the branches. There aren’t trees like this in my neighborhood and this tree alone changes my mind about this house being too average for Bram. It’s not. It’s just as amazing and unique as he is.

“Cool tree.” I say sliding my gaze to him.

“It’s a messy ass tree, always dropping petals or leaves, but we like it.” He replies “Good shade too.” We both stand there looking up at the branches there’s so many blossoms you can hardly see the sky through them. “I’m gonna run in the house and put these in the fridge.” He says holding up the container of strawberries. “Be right back.”

He runs back through the gate leaving me in the backyard. I tear my eyes away from the tree and take in the rest of the yard and eating another Oreo. There’s a small deck with a grill and a sliding glass door leading to the house, there’s some kind of soccer net on one side and soccer ball. 

Bram comes back out with a blanket over his arm and then spreads it out on the grass under the magnolia, then he lays down on his back arms behind his head, then pats the spot next to him and says “lie next to me?”

“You don’t have to ask me twice.” I say. We both just lie there, looking up at the tree again. I roll on my side propping my head up on my arm “So, tell me the important things I need to know about your mom.”

He rolls towards me mimicking my posture “Well, what kind of thing do you want to know?”

I groan a little “I don’t even know... do’s and don’ts I guess? ...General what to expect type things.”

“Alright, well, hmmm...” he thinks “No cussing...” I scoff in a way that makes it clear he didn’t need to say that “just making sure...oh! you can say ‘oh my god’ but under no circumstances should you use any form of Jesus Christ. And I know you are, but be polite, use your manners.”

“So, like basic parent stuff.”

“Yeah, pretty much.” He says “She usually listens to Nina Simone after work but it’s Friday so she will listen to at least one Salt-n-Peppa song on Friday’s, there’s usually some dancing but you’re here,” he puts his hand on my hip when he says this and I grin at him “so hopefully that won’t happen.” 

“I don’t know Bram that sounds like a pretty great ice breaker to me.”

He smirks “Yeah, an embarrassing ice breaker.” He squeezes my hip and I lean over and steal a kiss, I have to concentrate on keeping my hands to myself and not turning this into a full on make out session. I’M ABOUT TO MEET HIS MOTHER.

“So...Salt-n-Peppa, huh? That’s old school.” I say trying to get back on track.

“Yeah, she’s been playing one of their songs, None of Your Business a lot since I’ve come out, I think she wants it to be like my own personal Gay Anthem or something.”

I snort “Gay Anthem? Really?”

He laughs “I mean it’s not. At all. But in mom’s world it comes pretty close. I actually can see what she’s saying about it. Maybe. A little bit.” 

“What?! Now I’m jealous. I want my own personal Gay Anthem, too.” I laugh.

He smiles and moves closer to me hand still on my hip “We can work on that, Simon.” I like the way he says my name. It sounds different coming out of his mouth. Like he’s been taking care of it. He kisses me and again with reminding myself that his MOTHER will be here soon. 

“Anything else I should know?” I ask after pulling away.

“I mean not really. She’s been working on this big Zika Education Initiative for the state so she’s been kind of stressed lately. So you may have to hear a lot about bug spray.”

“That’s okay.” I say and smile. 

It goes silent between us and we just sort of lie there and just look at each other. I look at his dark eyes and those long eyelashes, his cheekbones, and I can’t help it I lift my hand and touch the freckles on his cheek with my finger tips. Bram’s eyelids slide close at my touch, so I trace trace the curve of his lips with a single finger. Suddenly, I feel like if I don’t kiss him, I may actually die so I lean in and- we hear a car door slam from the front yard, his mom. Death it is then. Bram hears it too and his eyes snap open. We both scramble to our feet. We’re sort of acting like we’ve been caught doing something we shouldn’t be, even though absolutely nothing was going on. 

“Help me fold the blanket?” Bram asks.

“Sure, sure.” I say nervously because this is it I’m going to meet his mom.


	2. Nina, Celeste, and Austen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dinner with Bram’s mom and a little bonus at the end from Bram’s POV, because I just love writing for Bram.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the moniker Dinosucker you will only recognize if you’ve read the first emails in the Special Edition Simon Versus, but it is canon. See end notes for art and music.
> 
>  
> 
> *Edited to fix a small collegiate mistake.

By the time we have the blanket folded and are walking up to the sliding door, I can see his mom standing at the kitchen counter her back to them sorting mail. A hundred small braids pulled up into a high ponytail, the sun catching on the gold beads tied into some of the braids. I’m back to feeling like I’m going to puke. Bram opens the door and I nervously attempt to flatten my hair.

“Hey, Ma! How was work?” He says giving her a kiss on the cheek. This one short interaction immediately makes me feel guilty because I literally don’t think I’ve ever asked my own parents this question, let alone given them a kiss hello. 

Bram sets the Oreos on the counter, his mom looks at the package and back at Bram. Shit. But she only lifts an eyebrow and says “Hey Bram baby, it was good, you know fighting the good fight with mosquito repellent. Or for mosquito repellent because it shouldn’t be this hard to convince people that inner city neighborhoods need access too.” She smiles then looks in my direction and then pointedly back at Bram.

Bram clears is throat and says “Oh,  
right. Mom this is Simon. Simon this is my mom.” Then he slides his hand into mine

I stick out my free hand and say “it’s nice to finally meet you Ms. Carter.” 

She smiles, shaking my hand “Nice to meet you too Simon I’ve heard so much about you, it feels like I already know you.” 

“Well, that’s nice to hear. I’ve heard a lot about you too.” I say feeling like we’re both reading from some script that everyone just decided was the only appropriate way to talk to someone you just met.

“Mmmhmmm I’m sure you have.” She sounds like she doesn’t believe me. “What were you boys doing outside?”

“Just enjoying the sun.” Bram replies.

“Mmmhmmm.”

“Mom. Just talking.”

“Yeah. I know. I’ve done that too.” Hearing this I blush because I’m a 100% certain that what she’s referring to is not just talking. I hate that I’m blushing because I feel like it’s just a big billboard saying I’M CURRENTLY THINKING ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT TOTALLY DIDN’T JUST HAPPEN IN YOUR BACKYARD.

I look away and catch Bram shaking his head with a look that’s equal parts amusement and utter humiliation. It’s crazy how well he’s pulling it off. Always so cute.

“Alright Bram Baby,” Their is something sweet about the way she says that, all one word Brambaby. “It’s Salt-n-Peppa time. It’s been a long week, so if you don’t want nice little Simon over here to see me get down old neighborhood style, I suggest you take him on a tour of the house.” As she says this she does a little head jerk, hip shake combo.

He looks wide eyed “Oh god, Si, let’s go.” He practically drags me down the hallway.

They hear the music start and then she’s shouting down the hall at them “If you go in your room Bram leave the door open! You can come back when Nina’s on.”

“I know! Just keep your dancing in the kitchen!” 

A loud laugh emits from the kitchen and then “Bram baby, jealousy does not look cute on you.” I’m not sure I agree with her.

Bram looks at me smiling and rolls his eyes then he pulls me into the living room. I look around for the first time since entering the house and if the magnolia hadn’t already convinced me this house was deserving of Bram, the living room would. The walls are covered in art and it doesn’t even look like a single one is of Alvin and the Chipmunks or made by a kindergartener.

“Sorry about my mom.”

“Why she seems cool?”

He shrugs. “If you say so. Well, this is the living room.” 

“I like all the art.” I say leaning in to look at a painting in a simple black frame, I think it’s Jesus washing the feet of his disciples. Apostles? Christ, I don’t know. All the people are black with identical wide eyes, it looks a thousand times more interesting than any of the religious paintings he’s seen.

“Yeah, mom’s really into black religious art. I’m pretty sure that’s one from one of mom’s coworkers brought back from Ethiopia.” He says. For the span of about a half a second I feel the crushing weight of inadequacy because this house and his mom and everything just seem much more, I don’t know, sophisticated. Like his mom has co-workers who travel to Ethiopia bringing back cool art and my family has skype dates to watch The Bachelor, but then Bram’s pulling on my hand again and saying “C’mon I’ll show you my room.” my curiosity is burning stronger than my inadequacy.

“Bathrooms there,” he says pointing to a closed door “if you need it.” He’s walking quickly through the hallway, I know what he’s trying to do and I’m not going to let him get away with it.

“Bram wait, I gotta see the pictures.”

“Do you? I don’t think that’s necessary.”

“It’s totally necessary.” I say turning back to the first pictures at the start of the hallway. He sighs but let’s me look.

“It’s like a shrine to my entire life.” He says and I can tell he’s embarrassed.

“Good, I want to see what I missed.” There’s a picture of him right after he was born, all wrapped up and a little hat on his head “Bram baby.” I whisper. I look up at him and the corner of his mouth is kicked up like he heard me. The next picture he’s not wearing the hat anymore and he has a full head of hair all curly and wild. “Wow, you had so much hair. I love it. I was completely bald when I was born.”

Bram runs a hand through my hair and says “not anymore.” I smile at him and turn to the other side of the hallway where I’m pretty sure every school picture ever taken of him is hanging up in two neat rows.

“Oh my god. Please tell me this was the Dinosucker days.” I say pointing to the first picture in the row. Most of his teeth are showing in the picture but the look is less of a smile and more of a grimace. 

“The very beginning of them.” He says. “Which explains that face I’m making.” I smile and look at the rest of the pictures. There’s soccer pictures, and Christmas pictures, and Halloween pictures, and birthdays, and cousins, and proof of a whole life lived up until now. It’s the best.

“This is my room.” He says it almost sheepishly opening the door. I walk in and it smells like him, it’s almost intoxicating. His room is clean, cleaner even than his car. This fact makes me feel even more self conscious about the state of my own room. He has a double bed which takes up most of the space in his room and a desk near the window, he has a book shelf full of books in his closet and I have a feeling that if I pushed the doors to cover it I’d find all his clothes hung up and color coordinated on the other side. 

“I like it.” I say nodding my head. I walk over to his book shelf and trail my fingers along the spines of the books. Then walk over to his bedside table, there’s a lamp and a framed photo. It’s of him and his parents sitting under a Christmas tree. Bram looks like he’s maybe 8 years old and he’s wearing a sweater with a menorah knitted on the front. “This is a great picture.” I say turning to look at Bram who’s still standing near the door.

“It’s one of my favorites. That’s one of the last times I remember us being happy, together as one family.” He looks down at his feet. Thankfully I don’t have to try to think of something to say to that because Bram saves me by saying “Hey, I hear Nina. Let’s go back.”

We walk back in the kitchen and that song is playing, I Put a Spell On You, that they always play around Halloween but it’s different when Nina Simone sings it, like it’s about something else altogether even though the lyrics are exactly the same. 

It’s Bram’s job to cut the vegetables, I try to help but neither of them will let me. Which is ok because I can just sit back and watch them. At my house everyone is always joking and it can get pretty loud especially when Alice is home, and we sort of always get in each others way. I like it that way, it’s nice, but it’s interesting watching the two of them because they each have their own roles and the way they move is so easy and smooth, it’s almost graceful, like a dance. 

They let me set the table when dinners almost ready. When we all sit down, I sit and wait for them to move first but then then Bram reaches up and takes my hand and I realize he’s holding his mom’s hand too. Then it occurs to me that they probably pray before they eat. Right. I reach out and take Ms. Carters hand, it’s really cold against my clammy one. His mom says grace and at the end, they both squeeze my hand and say amen, I say it just a beat too late. 

Then we just sort of dig in and the food is warm and spicy and distinctly southern and absolutely delicious. I take a long sip of the sweet tea in front of me, because my mouth is sort of on fire. I cough.

“Uh-oh Simon should we have toned down the spice for you?” Ms. Carter asks and I can hear Bram laughing next me.

My face is burning now but it has nothing to do with the food. God, this is humiliating. “Er, uh, no?” I mean it to sound confident, it doesn’t. “I mean, no. It’s perfect.” Bram’s laughing again and the sound makes me smile.

“Mmmhmmm.” I’m learning this is her go to way to make her skepticism known. “Here take a biscuit to eat with it, it won’t be as bad that way.” I take the basket and sheepishly pick a biscuit. For some reason this makes all three of us laugh, the kind of laughter that leaves you gasping for breath. Bram has put his fork down and is resting his forehead on the heel of his hand, shoulders shaking, laughing silently. I get a weird sense of satisfaction knowing that I can make him laugh like that. Even if it is at my own expense.

“Oh my god, Simon, I love having you here.” He says sighing happily.

“I love being here.” I say with a grin. Ms. Carter just raises her eyebrows. 

Everything is easier after that I don’t feel as nervous. His mom asks us both about school. She asks me about my college plans (I tell her I’m still researching and my sister goes to Welsleyan but lately I’ve been putting a lot of thought into NYU. More eyebrow raises.). She asks Bram if he’s really sure Columbia is the early decision school he wants to apply to, if he’s absolutely certain he doesn’t want to change it to Howard, she’s pretty sure there’s still time to switch (he’s sure, and no there isn’t any more time.). By the time we’re all done eating, I’m feeling pretty relaxed, in that way you only get after something you’ve been really stressed about turns out to be not as big of a deal as you thought. 

The feeling completely disappears however, when Ms. Carter turns to Bram and says, “Bram baby, go fix up the dessert. Shortcake is in the fridge but the strawberries you picked up still need to be sliced and sugared. I want to have a little chat with Simon here.”

“Ma...”

“Or if you’d rather we can all go in the living room and watch the video from your 8th birthday!” She says her voice oddly cheery.

“Okay, okay, I’m going. Jeez, go right for the jugular why don’t you.” He says standing up and walking towards the kitchen. He throws me an apologetic look over his shoulder before leaving the room. As soon as he’s out of the room I’m sure that this is where it all ends for us, Im bound to say something stupid and then I’ll be banished from their home forever with nothing but a “How dare you?!?” Before the door is permanently slammed in my face.

“Bram baby,” Ms. Carter calls out. “skip this song, poor Simon looks scared enough as it is without Strange Fruit playing in the background.” I hadn’t even noticed the music. The music stops and starts again with a new song.

“So. My son seems to have it pretty bad for you.” She says, it’s a statement. 

“I hope so. I...He...I got it pretty bad for him too.” It sounded normal when she said it, it sounds totally asinine coming out of my mouth.

“Yeah, well, he’s gotta be focused. Especially if Columbia works out for him. He’s worked so hard.” She closes her eyes as she says this last part and it honestly helps to emphasize her point “and I just...I just don’t want anything compromising that for him, you know?” 

“Yeah, I mean, me too. He deserves it.” It’s all I can think to say.

There’s a beat of silence. Then on courage that I’m mostly faking I say “With all due respect though ma’am, Bram’s pretty studious, I’m not sure I have the power to break him of that.”

She smirks “You’d be surprised.”

“Well, I guess, I’ll keep that in mind?”

“You do that, Simon, you do that.” She says seriously. More silence and then “One more thing. Personal safety is a big thing in this family, always has been, because we’re black folk livin’ in the south. Now, I know being gay in the south isn’t a real picnic either but it’s more complicated for Abraham because he’s juggling both things.” I nod, not quite sure where exactly she’s going with this. “So I guess what I’m trying to tell you is that, it might be a good idea to take his lead in public and not take anything too seriously like if he doesn’t want to hold your hand when your out together.” This is a freaking lot. “I don’t know how any of this sounds to you, Simon. Maybe I sound crazy. Maybe it sounds unfair to you.”

I think about it for minute. I feel a little lost, and completely unqualified to put her fears to rest. “Ms. Carter... I don’t really know what to say. Except we’re already really careful? Bram has always been so careful. And, ya know, what’s the fun of holding someone’s hand if they don’t want you to? I only want to hold his hand if wants me to. So, I guess it’ll be pretty easy to do what you’re asking me to do?” 

She laughs and says “Yeah, okay, that’s one way to look at it.” She sighs and then just sits there for a minute. I look at her and I’m realizing how much Bram really does look like her, the slope of his nose, the sweep of his eyelashes, the shape of his eyes, all match his mothers. The way she talks about things reminds me of how Bram can get sometimes. Her sense of humor.

“I used to play this song for him when he was in my belly.” She says suddenly she’s not looking at me she’s just kind of staring at the wall, I haven’t been paying attention to the music but I am now.

To be young, gifted and black. Nina Simone sings out.

“You know, by putting headphones on my belly?” She looks at me now so I nod. “I know his dad thinks Bram gets his intellect from him, but I like to think he gets most of it from Nina.”

“I don’t know, Ms. Carter, I was just thinking he probably gets it from you.” I didn’t really think about what I was saying before I was saying it but now that it’s out I cringe because it just sounds like a line. Like I’m trying to kiss her ass. She’s probably going to hit me with another ‘mmmhmmm’.

“Celeste.” 

“What?” I ask because I genuinely have no idea what’s going on.

“You can call me Celeste, that’s my name.”

“Oh. I don’t think-“

“I would like it if you would call me, Celeste.”

I smile. “Okay... Celeste.”

Then Bram’s coming around the corner, saying “Alright, stop talking about me, it’s time for dessert.”

 

***

BRAM

I get home from dropping Simon off at his house at 1030 on the dot. We talked all the way back to his house and he kept saying how much he liked my mom, which I’m not going to lie, it made me pretty happy. By the end of the night he was calling her by her first name and while he wasn’t telling jokes that were funny on purpose he was considerably more relaxed than he had been. Mom wanted me back by 1030 (on the dot) so we only had about 9 minutes to kiss a little in my car, but he kept curling his fingers around the collar of my t-shirt and pressing the backs of his fingers into my skin. It was such a small thing but just like anything having to do with Simon, I liked it. I really, really liked it. When we eventually broke apart both gasping, he’s looking at me with heavy lidded eyes and says “your dessert was really freaking good tonight.” And I just don’t know, something about the moment, or the fact that his lips are swollen and that their is a sly smirk playing at their edges, makes this innocuous phrase seem incredibly dirty. I groan. I check the time. Damn.

“Stop looking at me like that or I won’t be able to leave.” I tell him looking into his grey eyes and I feel how I imagine it feels to be drunk.

“So, stay.” He says leaning in and kissing me again while sliding his hand up to my shirt collar again, I catch his wrist and pull away. He looks adorably flummoxed.

“Seriously, Si, I gotta go now or I’m going to be late. Then you’ll have to go back to calling my mom, Ms. Carter.”

“Well, we can’t have that.” He says resigned “One more kiss.” I give him a look “I’ll be good, I promise.” I give in and kiss him. Of course I do. 

I pull away. “Out now, Simon. I really have to go.” I reach across him and push the door open.

“Jesus, with that move, Bram. What a way to leave a guy.” He says but he gets out and stands by the door.

I laugh. “You’re one to talk, with all that shirt collar stuff. Not to mention the eyes.” I say pointing two fingers at his face.

He giggles and I cease to remember that their is even such a thing as curfews. “See you tomorrow?” He asks.

“I mean, yeah. As long as you still want to come to my game.” 

“What an idiotic question. Of course I want to, maybe I’ll sit with Celeste.”

I smile “I’m sure she’d like that.” He shuts the car door. I sit there and wait for him to get in the house and wave back at him before he shuts the door behind himself.

So I get home at 1030 on the dot, and it isn’t lost on me that the fact that I’m able to swing this is nothing short of a miracle. I make every single light, but that doesn’t even cover most of the time I needed to make up to get home on time. But I’m not questioning it. I get in the house and mom is waiting up for me, all the lights are off the only light coming from the TV. 

“Hey, Bram baby, you’re right on time.” I sit down next to her on the couch and rest my head on her shoulder.

“Hey, mama.”

“Get that boy home ok?”

“Yeah, safe and sound. He really likes you.” I say. I’m not asking her anything, but it’s a question.

She lets out a long breath and says “Lord help me, I like him too. He’s a good kid. Funny. A little nervous.” I snort.

“Just wait till he’s actually trying to be funny.”

I can feel her smiling and shaking her head. “What’s that thing Lizzy says to Jane after she meets Bingley in Pride and Prejudice?”

“I have no idea, Ma. You know how I feel about Austen.”

“Oh, wait, I think I know she says ‘he is a very agreeable person, and I give you leave to like him. You’ve liked many a stupider person.’ “

I snort. “Yeah, like you know anyone else I’ve liked.”

“Hindsight is 20/20, Abraham.”

I still doubt that she knows even one of the before Simon crushes but it’s late and her shoulder is comfy and I feel like I could fall asleep right here like I’m a little kid again, so I just say “You’re right, everyone who isn’t Simon is stupid. I’m going to bed.”

“Not at all what I meant, but goodnight Bram baby.”

I stand up, give her a kiss on the cheek and say “night, ma.” Before leaving the room.

I text Simon before I get in bed, but as soon as my head hits the pillow I’m out, probably because my entire world is perfectly aligned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Salt-n-Pepa None of your Business: https://youtu.be/_Q96-e042bk
> 
> I have this exact painting in my own house a gift from my sister and her husband: http://www.betsyporter.com/images/E_footwashing.JPG
> 
> Nina Simone I Put a Spell on You: https://youtu.be/ua2k52n_Bvw
> 
> If you’ve never heard this song before do it now, it’s gut wrenching and haunting, and somehow still beautiful. Nina Simone Strange Fruit: https://youtu.be/BcCm_ySBslk
> 
> Nina Simone To be Young, Gifted, and Black: https://youtu.be/RTGiKYqk0gY
> 
> And this song, which has *almost* nothing to do with this fic but it’s the reason I love the name Celeste: https://youtu.be/is83WB7Ue1Y


End file.
